KATHMANDU, April 15 Kyodo century...

KATHMANDU, April 15 Kyodo

centurys of people were arrested Thursday in a police crackdown forward a planned rally against King Gyanendra in the Nepalese capital.

Leaders and activists of the five mainstream political parties protesting against the king's takeover of executive powers 18 month ago were bundl into waiting police deals and vans as they marched to the rally venue in van of the Narayanhity Royal Palace, the official residence of the Nepalese monarch.

Party leaders had planned to address the rally.

Former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, president of the Nepali Congres Party, was among those hauled distant from while party workers clashed with riot police, preventing the arrest of Madhav Kumar Nepal, secretary general of the United Marxist Leninist Party.

The couple leaders had earlier led a march of centurys of demonstrators in defiance of a conduct ban on protest rallies or gatherings of more than four people

The rule instituted the ban after the five parties began their general wave of anti-king protests forward April 1.

Elsewhere in the capital Thursday centurys of party activists staged demonstrations at different places.

The demonstrators carried party flags and chanted ''Down with regression'' and ''We don't want an autocratic king.''

Police intervened in the demonstrations and arrested the protesters

Organizers of the aver rally said nearly 1,000 the community were arrested, while the police said they could not give any estimate.

pupils affiliated with the five political parties also demonstrated in fore-rank of colleges in the capital.

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